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As forecast, the whole “Korean Satellite” fiasco was smoothed over and did not rate a line in even the local rags anymore…life went on...and the Secretary of the United Nations went home…after enjoying a relaxing break being entertained and fussed over by various dignitaries in Cape Town. South Africa was still the jewel in the navel of Africa!…
Rory felt very frustrated, as he had progressed no further in his investigation regarding the Drug smuggling and distribution Organisation.
Hu Lyang was a bit upset, and inconvenienced, at losing the services of a loyal servant such as Wei Chen…..but then, that was life - and rather Wei than himself!. He, the Minister and Bureau 39 had come out of the “oilfield” scam with a profit anyway….not what they would have liked to receive, but tolerable…The “Bureau” wasn’t too happy, about the adverse publicity North Korea had received though…
He realised that he would have to keep his eye upon the Kane husband and wife and Rory Hamilton….but they had no evidence against him anyway. He would also have to give the Chinese a wide berth for the moment!.
The Minister would be no problem….as he, Hu Lyang, could cause him a lot of trouble should he open his mouth……all in all, not bad… considering his Drug operation had not been affected and was still running smoothly in spite of the nosing around of Rory Hamilton and “The Circle” – He would soon be dealt with!. Besides, his BEE man had recently been appointed to the Government ranks as a Cabinet Minister, so he would still have a “source” within the Government. Things were actually going well – there were many new business angles becoming available – new prospects as the South African economy grew and grew.
CHAPTER 41
In KwaZulu-Natal (mainly in Durban) the sales and use of Ritalin, a schedule 7 drug designed to improve concentration for children suffering from “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”(ADHD), was increasing monumentally. Prescriptions were easily available and many mothers had discovered that Ritalin helped them to lose weight, relax and go on a pleasant “high” – far easier to obtain than “coke” or “dagga”(pot or marijuana) and was generally accepted as not really drugging….so consciences felt good!.
Ritalin became a “socially acceptable habit”. Sales were not affected by the warnings issued by Pharmacists, paediatricians and teachers, stating very clearly that the long-term use and abuse of the substance could lead to heart attacks, brain tumours and strokes.
Hu Lyang’s army of street peddlers were doing a roaring trade as the generic “Ritelink”(manufactured in North Korea) was sold on the street and “to those in the know” in some flea-markets, at almost half the price asked for by the Pharmacies for the original – and no prescriptions were required!.
Rory had consulted with the Head of the Cargo Anti-Smuggling Unit at OR Tambo International Airport, Superintendent Steve van Zyl who told him that they had succeeded, jointly with the Crime Intelligence Unit, to a large extent, in stopping huge drug consignments from coming into the country and had made some arrests. This involved big shipments at the airport terminals and had been brought about by co-operation with Brazilian authorities and joint operations with other foreign countries too.
Van Zyl quoted the case of a Nigerian national they had arrested at the airport after a tip-off, who had secreted 114kg of pure cocaine (R88-million) within a cargo of steel gears. This same method had been used to smuggle in drugs worth R57 million from Dubai and India, which the Unit had seized. It seemed that the smugglers favoured the use of heavy metal machinery cargos, perhaps due to the fact that they were so awkward and time-consuming, to open and search.
Dagga was being sent out of the country at an astonishing rate, and mainly to the UK, virtually every day. This was done primarily through the parcel office of the International Mail Centre, which serves as a Post/Clearing Office for parcels coming from 50 warehouses. All drugs seized are kept as evidence and destroyed at the end of the trial of the apprehended.
Superintendent van Zyl gave Rory a copy of the lists his unit had compiled regarding companies that regularly imported bulky or heavy cargos – perhaps he would spot something not noticed before – although this was doubtful as the Anti-Smuggling Unit was extremely thorough….
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Back at home in Cape Town, Rory wiped his hand across his eyes wearily – it was past one in the morning and he had finally finished reading through the lists and correspondence that he had been loaned by Supt. Van Zyl and he had found nothing to be excited about. He had noted that one Import company seemed to have a more or less consistent supply, of heavy metal machinery coming in to the country, from China by sea and off-loaded in Cape Town, every third or fourth month – this might be worth having a look at.
He poured himself a night-cap and walked from the study to his bedroom where he changed into his pyjamas and slipped into bed turning on the CD player. He started to relax as he succumbed to the mellifluous magic of Puccini’s “Turandot” (his mother’s influence). Moments before slipping into “slumberland”, he remembered why the name of the company, had evoked a memory in his mind –it was the replication of the word “Turan…” from “Turandot” in…..”TuranColl”…
Rory had been invited to join his mother at her Cape Town home for Sunday lunch the next day. As usual, they would discuss matters of mutual interest while enjoying a pre-lunch drink. He remembered his last thought before falling asleep the previous evening….’Mother….last night, working on one of my cases I was looking through a file of company names and came across an Import/Export company called “TuranColl”….which to me sounds like a combination of Turandot, our almost “family-anthem”, and your maiden-name Collett……..what do you think?…’
Amelia smiled at her son affectionately, saying...’..well now Rory, that’s very perceptive of you - you’ve discovered my little secret…..in fact, part of your future inheritance….Yes, “TuranColl” is exactly as you say,…a combination of Turandot and Collett…… it is my Company and will be yours whenever you feel like taking it over. I have told the Family nothing about the company, they don’t even know that it exists. I was going to reveal this to you at a suitably appropriate time….and you’ve pipped me at the post!…..congratulations my darling son….your cleverness makes me proud!’ She embraced Rory and then stepped back…’..but what file was this that you were looking at, and why does ”our” company appear in it?.’
Rory carefully told his mother all about his investigation of the illegal Drug distribution and sales racket in South Africa – emphasizing the fact that the bulk of the incoming drugs were being brought through Customs, hidden in Heavy Machinery imports, which made all importers in this category, suspect until proven otherwise.
Amelia was appalled and horrified when she heard that the Drug-Lord had tried to engineer the murder of her grand-daughter Marianne and her husband James and hastened to assure Rory that although she herself had not participated in the daily administration of the business, she was sure that her Company was not in any way involved.
She told him all about the CEO, whom she trusted implicitly and promised to set-up a meeting between May-Lin and Rory for the next day…….
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Rory was highly impressed with the extremely competent and efficient way that his mother’s business had been set up. He was even more impressed when he met May-Lin Shaw the CEO. She was an elfin-figured Eurasian girl, more European featured than Asian with unusually striking blue eyes and a figure that would have been the envy of any professional model. Her personality was her greatest attribute though – warm, friendly with the ability to charm even the most sour of individuals. One could sense though, that there was a hint of steel beneath the calm and attractive exterior – someone of intelligence who wouldn’t be pushed around.
May-Lin was likewise impressed with Rory. A Celtic-featured man, with thick black eyebrows, an attractive smile and demeanour. He was tall, dark and well-built, in striking contrast to the majority of Asian men that she had encountered. She felt a flicker of interest, which she quickly suppressed…..he was after all, the Boss’s son!….and he was here on an important mission - so she had been told…..besides that……
They walked through the huge hanger-like storeroom, which was stacked in some places to ceiling height with Cargo Containers, most of which still bore the unbroken seals applied by the Customs and Excise Department. They had been sorted into batches and each separate batch had a plastic signboard placed on top bearing the client’s name – obviously regulars.
Rory noticed that the largest collection of Containers by far, belonged to a dairy company bearing the name “Ubisi Dairies” (Ubisi being the Zulu name for milk) and befittingly, the Head Office was situated in KwaZulu Natal. Paging through the Records in the Dispatch office, Rory noted from one of the ”Ubisi Dairies” letterheads, that they had many branches situated throughout South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana and Maputo….quite a circuit……and surprise!, surprise!, Mr.BEE was listed as the Managing Director, and Hu Lyang as Director responsible for The Cape, The Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng - this definitely warranted a closer look!. He decided to contact the Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa personally on the direct line that had been assigned to him. The Minister agreed to an immediate, unofficial, secret search of the Containers and arranged for Customs and Excise to send a Special Agent to assist Rory and bring along the Customs sealing-apparatus to conceal this surreptitious search, which was to be done after office hours in the evening.
The search of all the Containers belonging to “Ubisi Dairies” proved fruitless, containing mainly spare parts for pasteurising, refrigeration and milking units with virtually no spaces where drugs might be concealed, much to the disappointment of Rory and his co-helpers. Tired, dispirited and listless, they left the premises of “TuranColl” just after six o’clock in the morning. Rory, totally exhausted, had a quick shower and fell into a deep sleep at his apartment, waking in the early evening.
Never ever had Ubisi Dairies been suspected of any sort of wrong-doing, but Rory was still not satisfied. He spent a long time looking at their web-site and concluded that they must be a very well-financed and administered group, judging from the extent of their operations. All of their main branch dairies had their own bottling, carton-filling and bagging equipment, the milk being delivered in bulk to them via Ubisi Milk-tankers. The Milk-tankers were very modern, streamlined-looking vehicles – “Custom-built” for Ubisi by a newly established modern and progressive Motor company, owned by a former director of the Chery Group in China – a big improvement visually, compared with the Tankers used by opposition companies, which resembled Fuel carriers. The tankers had been designed to have as little wind-resistance as possible and had wind-gullies built in to help aid the cooling system. The design had been created and developed by an independent designer, who had originally been trained by and worked under, the famous motorcar designer, Ian Callum - and as with the magnificent all-new XJ Jaguar, no expense had been spared to create the ultimate.
Rory printed out a copy of the photo of the Ubisi Milk-tanker, which he then enlarged…..a vague idea forming in his mind…..
After much thought, Rory phoned James Kane in Johannesburg and arranged to meet him at James’s studio the next day when he would explain the reason for the meeting.
Driving from the O.R. Tambo International Airport to Sandton, Rory noted that he could see a part of the Ubisi Dairy building complex in Isando, from the highway - and co-incidentally, an Ubisi Milk-tanker turning from Electron Avenue into Industrial Road – must be an “omen” he thought.
Stopping in the Visitors Parking Area at James’ Sandton studio, Rory opened the boot and removed his briefcase – one dare not drive with any valuables lying on the passenger seat in Johannesburg, owing to the increasingly heavy incidences of “smash-and-grab” and hijacking. Hopefully the radical new Police Commissioner, Bheki Cele, would make an effort to curtail this.
After explaining in detail to James, how he had become involved in the investigation into Illegal Drug sales and distribution - and the reason that their paths had crossed,…Rory came to the point: ‘…we, “The Circle”, operating with the assistance of the Minister of Police, would like to hire yourself and filming crew to supposedly shoot part of a Documentary film that is being produced for the Education Department, featuring Dairy Farming and Dairy products. One part of this shoot will be done at the premises of “Ubisi Dairies” in Isando - giving us the chance to look at their operation and check out the Milk-tankers. You are not obliged to help us, but I thought that as you had already crossed swords with Hu Lyang - and Marianne and yourself had almost been murdered, you might be interested in having his schemes upset…he’s in KwaZulu-Natal for the next two weeks so there is no danger of us running into him and being recognised…what do you say?…’
James was more than willing to become involved, especially when he learnt that they would be issued with an official letter from the Education Department asking for the co-operation of Ubisi Dairies…all nice and legal!. Business was also a bit quiet in the Film Production Industry at that moment in time, so the project was welcome…plus he would have more information to pass on to London.
Rory returned to Cape Town after arranging with James to prepare for a “shoot” at Ubisi Dairies in two days time, giving James enough time to prepare a fake “Shooting Script” and clean-up and prepare equipment and assign a “crew” who would not be made aware of the true purpose of the exercise.
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CHAPTER 42
James’s crew were made very welcome by the Management of the Ubisi Dairies especially after receiving a phone call from the Education Department and were soon made familiar with the layout of the factory area and administrative offices. Rory was introduced as the Producer and Director and was afforded a personal tour of the whole operation by the Manager who told him to make himself at home. He wandered over to the Transport office and requested permission to have a look at their Milk-tankers, enthusing about the unique design which had been photographed and articled in “AutoForum” the leading auto trade magazine in SA – evidently the braking system was also very innovative, having been specially designed by a British Company, who had also supplied the parts.
Rory was taken into the large warehouse, which served as the parking and servicing depot for the Ubisi vehicles. The Assistant Manager who accompanied him was starting to look a bit bored, so Rory told him that he would wander around on his own as he would like to spend quite a bit of time looking at the Tankers…nodding his thanks, the Assistant Manager scurried off.
There were two tankers parked alongside a service-bay, which were being washed and spruced up. He walked around the vehicles, noting the reinforcing around the base of the tank itself which was about one and a half metres in height extending from the back of the vehicle right up to the cab. He spotted one of the mechanics in the service-bay and asked him about the reinforced base. The mechanic, a swarthy muscular-looking fellow explained that the base contained the specially designed freezing apparatus that kept the milk in the tank at the correct temperature. This unit was part-powered by Solar inserts built into the top of the tanker and cab and assisted by the wind-gullies encompassed within the body design. To service and work on the freezing apparatus, the Tank section had to disengage from the cab to enable the hinged hatch to be opened. I’d like to have a look into that freezer compartment thought Rory….bet that the equipment doesn’t take up the whole area!….
Rory noticed that there was a schedule-board in the office of the Assistant Manager. This detailed arrivals and departures of Tankers and he was interested to note that Maputo-based Tankers arrived regularly on every fifteenth day of the month and at month’s end. It appeared that they arrived more or less at 8 o’clock in the evening and returned the next morning at 5am. Two other tankers also departed from the warehouse at the same time – one to KwaZulu-Natal and the other to Cape Town. The Assistant Manager explained that the journey was scheduled for these times as the traffic flow was easier then. A night crew off-loaded the tanker and refuelled and washed it for the return journey. Co-incidentally the tanker was due that same evening and Rory hastened to ask if he might be allowed to observe the operation and was given a polite but firm refusal – no outsiders were allowed on the premises after hours – by order of the Managing Director, as this could result in a lot of hassles for the Security Company that patrolled the area at night – there would be no exceptions to the rule.
Rory glanced at the sign placed on the wall by the Security Company and noted that the patrolmen were accompanied by Rotweilers…definitely a fearsome, canine deterrent, for any would-be prowlers.
He walked up to the area at the very end of the warehouse designated as the milk-downloading bay – very modern, tiled and hygienic – the milk being downloaded via a stainless steel tubular connection in the wall to the milk processing division in the interconnecting building next door. The whole area was sprayed with an antiseptic solution and washed down automatically after a download. He decided that he would have a crane-shot of this procedure and hastened off to arrange this.
The Tanker was connected to the stainless steel download connection in the bay for the simulated shot of a milk download. The camera on crane with the cameraman and Rory aboard travelled backwards away from a Close-up of the front of the Tanker rising smoothly till it reached its peak in a dark area among the roof-girders of the warehouse, simultaneously coming to a smooth halt on the dolly-rails. They repeated this action a number of times until Rory was satisfied that it was perfect. From his final-shot viewpoint, up among the roof girders, Rory could see the Tanker from above in full detail. While everyone’s attention was concentrated on the lit-up download bay, Rory stealthily affixed a miniature radio-controlled digital video camera with high-powered microphone to a girder, focussed on the scene below.
At 7.45pm that evening Rory pulled to the side of the road within view of Ubisi Dairies. He did not have long to wait as at 7.50pm a Ubisi Tanker bearing Maputo number-plates turned into the Ubisi driveway. Rory clicked the radio control for the video camera and watched as the brightly-lit download bay appeared on his monitor….after a few seconds, the Tanker appeared and reversed into the bay. Instead of connecting its hose to the download-connector, a loud click was heard and the cab disconnected itself from the tanker and drove away for a short distance. The driver climbed from the cab and joined two other men at the front end of the Tanker, where he applied a key to the door of the hatch. Rory zoomed the camera in to the opening and watched as the men proceeded to unload transparent plastic bags roughly the size of small Cement bags, filled with a white substance, labelled “Milk Powder” from the interior of the “refrigeration” compartment. He had hit the “mother lode” ……no way was that “Milk Powder! – his mind boggled when he thought of how many millions or billions this cargo would be worth!
He had the evidence now, as he had been recording from the camera feed onto a HD digital recorder, as he watched. He could indict the Company now, but he wanted more than that, - he wanted Hu Lyang and his connections, so a bit of patience would be required. As he watched, the plastic bags were divided up into three piles. One pile went into each of the two tankers standing alongside the service-bay. The third pile being placed on a “fork-lift” which drove off to the other end of the building to where a panel-van was parked. Rory presumed that one tanker would be going to KwaZulu-Natal and the other to Cape Town – the panel-van load would be for the Gauteng division of Hu Lyang’s operation. The Maputo Branch of Ubisi Dairies would have to be placed under observation to determine exactly how the Drug consignment was actually being smuggled into Maputo. This was important, as this was probably Hu Lyang’s main supply point.
Rory immediately assigned one of his “Circle” operatives to follow the Maputo tanker in the morning and to make precise notes regarding his route and stops on the way and especially the procedure followed upon arrival back in Maputo, also any information and photos regarding the Ubisi personnel set-up, premises layout and operation. Rory would need this information for when he came to Maputo two days before the end of the month – giving him hopefully, some time before the next consignment of drugs was due for delivery from abroad, to find out how and where, this handover would take place…….
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CHAPTER 43
Back in his office in Cape Town, Rory spent a day going through what he had learnt about “Ubisi” in Johannesburg – plus the detailed information now received from his operative who had followed the “Ubisi” tanker to Maputo. What a cleverly put-together organisation it was….and…..he had to admit to a certain grudging admiration for the wily Hu Lyang. He realised that the importation side of the organisation had been deliberately emphasized so as to arouse suspicion, knowing that this could be investigated with impunity and would divert attention away from the real source and port-of-entry (if such existed) of the Drug Consignments………..an ingeniously placed “red-herring”!
Rory felt positively exhilarated, he was finally on track with the Drug Investigation…and at long last he had something to show for all the time spent……….he would have to celebrate for sure!!..………he was going to nail the inscrutable Oriental!!………mind you, there was another Oriental or should we say Eurasian that he wouldn’t mind nailing…..in a deliciously different way of course!……and he needed someone to celebrate with…so, why not!……
May-Lin answered her phone with irritation - she had had a trying day and was ready to go home and relax. She was a bit nonplussed to hear Rory’s voice but decided to be polite: ‘…Yes Rory, what can I do for you?……’. Rory was rather taken aback by the coolness of her voice and for one second almost decided to drop his invitation. Shrugging mentally, he said ‘…I know that it’s rather a bit of a short notice…however, would you like to have dinner with me this evening?…’
May Lin realised that she had been a bit curt, and he was an interesting man, after all………she hesitated, then:
‘………I’d love to!”…she responded warmly, smiling to herself. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be something special….
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Rory pressed the doorbell at the entrance to the Penthouse suite in the prestigious apartment building. There was a slight pause and he became aware of the two security cameras observing him before the front door opened silently and he stepped through the doorway into an impressive hallway. He could see a smiling May Lin leaving the lounge and advancing to meet him.
‘Welcome to my home Ro